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Monday, June 30, 2014

Just a short blog today, it is a sunny hot day with the temps in the high 90’s and the heat index is at 105. Not doing any outside work today, Donna is on the day watch at Walgreens, tomorrow is her only day off for the week.

The John Deer man is supposed to be out tomorrow, I hope it is a quick fix and I can get the back cut. It probably won’t be cheap, Nothing with John Deere on it is, I wish I could get down on the floor and do more, but the condition of my feet make that impossible anymore. I needed to use the handle of the floor jack to get up after working on it Friday.

Rigg’s is taking advantage of the hot day and laying under the fan in the kitchen napping. His sister Sadie is next to him. Thy sure have the life.

Went down to the fiver and put the a/c so the inside doesn’t get too hot with this hot weather.I usually run it when it is above 92 outside, Don’t think the 80’s hurt anything, but higher temps might. Plus it will be cool if we need to sleep in it like when our house A/c broke down last year.

I am hoping sometime in July we can get away and just go to a campground and swim and relax.If Donna can’t get off I might just take Rigg’s and make it a boys day out.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Some days it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed, Got up to a nice sunny morning and decided since I had done the front grass right before our company got here, I would go out and do the back today. I fired up John Deere and went around back and got the deck going and made it about ten feet when the deck hit a roll of weed eater string, that was left in the grass and I didn’t see. It jammed the deck up solid. So it was into the garage where I jacked it up and took the impact wrench and buzzed the blades off and got all the twisted string out, and then buzzed the blades back on. Went to engage the deck and it’s still jammed tight. I can’t see anything else under there, so now I am out of idea’s and I had to seek professional help. Donna called the John Deere Dealer and they will send a technician out Tuesday to see if it can repaired here in the garage.

Donna has the night shift at the restaurant tonight, The kid’s are gone tent camping this weekend so I have Rigg’s and Sadie for companionship while Donna is at work.

Not much else going on here, Hope all is well with all our friends out there. Be safe. Sam & Donna………….

Thursday, June 26, 2014

It’s just a beautiful sunny day here in Dardenne Prairie. Supposed to be a high in the mid 80’s with no rain in the forecast.Donna has the night shift at the restaurant tonight.

Had to put a new battery in my generator yesterday,it is a real small one, like a moped or small cycle would have, I found that someone left the ignition on and it was dead, I put my charger on it on the lowest setting, But it was shorted and wouldn’t take a charge, I was lucky it didn’t explode since it puffed up while it was on the charger. Anyway I went to Wal Mart and they didn’t have the same number but the had one that was just a little bigger but still fit in the mount. It was an AGM battery whatever that is, and you had to put the acid in it and then seal the top. I put a new cable on since one of mine the end came off.

I installed it right there at the store by the automotive department, Then when I got it in it fired right up. The one tech who is an RVer said boy that generator is pretty quiet, I told him when you run it on the tailgate like I was doing it rumbles a little, but on the ground it really quiets down. Price was $33. about what you pay for a tractor battery.

How about a throwback,

Donna out west with the popup in 1986.

Donna Virginia Beach with our second trailer 1995.

In 95 after that trip we traded the Road Ranger in on a new fleetwood 5th wheel, and then in 2008 we traded again for the Chaparral that we have now.

That’s I for today hope all is well with all our friends, be safe out there. Sam & Donna……

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

We have guests here at the Ranch. Danny & Shula Oren arrived yesterday about 02:00PM and got set up on the pad next to the driveway, After getting them set up with electric, we had a cocktail hour while we waited for Donna to get home from work.

Once she got home we went over to JJ’s Restaurant where Donna works and had a great dinner. and much conversation.

Then we came home and Danny & Shula showed us pictures slide shows of their homeland in Israel. They are just a wonderful couple and we are so happy they decided to visit with us.

Weeb’s RV Park.

Sam, Donna, Shula & Danny at JJ’s.

Tonight Sam will be making his homemade pizza, can’t have someone visit the ranch without baking a big pizza.

They will be leaving tomorrow to continue their westward journey.

Rigg’s is enjoying the company, Sadie not so much.

Hope all is well with all our friends out there in blog land, Jim & Sandy we said hello for you to the Oren’s. Their hoping to one day visit with you guys too.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Saturday was a slow news day, Donna had the evening shift at the restaurant, and business was so slow she was home early. Sunday has been a nasty weather day, with several severe thunder storms, and everything is just soaked again. Luckily I moved my fiver off the pad and over in front of the garage door. We got a text from our guests from Israel, Danny & Shula Oren , that they will be arriving with their fiver tomorrow in the early afternoon. We are looking forward to making new friends and having a nice visit. I can see a brewery tour in my future.

Donna worked the day watch at Walgreens today and I am waiting for her to get home with supper.

Rigg’s is lying by his Dad’s chair. when the storm got really loud he came in and got up on the bed and watched a train, he isn’t normally afraid of storms so maybe he thought his Dad needed someone close to him.

The phone just put out an emergency weather alert for flash floods, we are on really high ground so no worries here.

That’s about all for today, hopefully some pictures when the Oren’s arrive. All our friends out there be safe. Sam & Donna……

Thursday, June 19, 2014

It is another hot summer day here at the ranch 87 degrees at noon. Donna took John Deere out to finish the front without telling me. I wish she would have said something as she got it stuck down to the frame in mud, could have shown her what area to avoid, or maybe she wanted to see me sweat. I took Max the truck out and put a tow strap on it and pulled it free, she is now finishing it and hopefully won’t make the same mistake twice. Maybe the closer you get to 70 the worse is is to take the heat, this summer it seems I just don’t last as long outside in 90 degree sunny weather. I used to stay out for hours, now I cut the yard in three sections, one day for each.

How about a couple of throwbacks,

Donna in 1978.

Donna at the pullout lookout in Scranton, 1980.

Donna in the dome diner 2004.

Nashville 2006, Sam is on the presidents bar stool.

Donna has the night shift at the restaurant tonight,Me and Rigg’s are assigned to homeland security.

Hope all is well with all our friends out there and the weather is fair for all. Be safe. Sam & Donna……..

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Another great day here in Dardenne Prairie sunny all day and right at 90 degrees. I was lucky to be able to get about 3/4’s of the grass mowed before it was to hot for me.Yesterday I got a replacement front tire for John Deere and put it on, then I cut the back acre.

Today I was cutting the side area it is about a 3.4 acres square with several trees along both sides. A squadron of blue jays was scrambled to intercept us since thy must have nests in the trees, those jays are very aggressive diving at maximum speed to within a few feet of you. They must have been taught fighter tactics in Germany as they use either the Ketten (4 plane) or schwarm (6-8 plane) formations and each leader has a wingman.

I’ll bet Judy could add to this observation, it is amazing that something as large and loud as a tractor with a human on it does not intimate them in the least. Several times I thought They were going to collide with me, but they did some amazing aerobatics.

Still have about 1/4acre to finish but that area has some real wet spots so I am hoping for another hot day or two to do some more drying out.

Today is Donna’s only day off she is relaxing and enjoying it. I was going to go out with her to supper but the heat got to me, so she said, why don’t we just make some busketti. Good enough for me, I never turn down Italian food.

That’s about t for today, hope all is well with all our friends, be safe out there. Sam & Donna………..

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Happy Fathers Day to all the Dad’s out there, each of us was blessed with a man who showed us the right way to go and set an example with the way he lived his own life, No man could do more.

Here is my son Andy’s present and card.

AH Lager Especial.

Donna had to work so I am waiting for her to get home before I open my gift.

I’ll never forget when I was 17 years old and had just graduated from High School, it was 1966 and the war was going pretty good in Viet Nam, There was a draft so naturally my twin brother and I were talking about joining the Navy and flying, My Mom was dead against the war and us serving. But my Dad said, That decision is not up to us but it is between God and the boys, All I will say is everything we have enjoyed all our lives, all the freedoms we have were paid for by young men & women like our sons.There will be no more discussion on this the boys will make their own minds up. At that moment I knew I had the best Dad in the world and that I would serve my country like he did.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Today June 14th is celebrated throughput the United States at Flag Day. As a veteran I display the US Flag everyday. I think we have the most recognizable flag in the world, it certainly does a good job of representing our free nation.

Last night I enjoyed a wonderful supper of pizza and beer after an 11 day abstinence from alcohol due to a medicine I was taking.I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Donna worked the evening shift at the restaurant as she will tonight also.

It is a sunny day and the back yard looks like it’s starting to dry out so I will go and get some gas for John Deere and start on that later this afternoon, supposed to be sunny and in the 80’s today.

Not much else going on here at the ranch, hope all is well with all our friends out there. Be safe, Sam & Donna…….

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Another fair day at the Ranch, what they call partly cloudy, no sun but no rain either, temps in the 70’s , the ground is staying wet.

Yesterday was Donna’s only day off for the week, she spent the day puttering and relaxing, which is good. I made a Wal-Mart run and got some groceries for dinner. We had cube steaks last night.

Tonight Donna is working the evening shift at Walgreens, which means I will fend for myself for supper.

Tomorrow will be day ten the last day of my antibiotic prescription, once I take the last pill I have to wait 24 hours to come off the alcohol ban. That means Friday I can reward myself with a pizza and a couple of beers for supper. Going ten days without a beer wasn’t as bad as I thought it was,but the medicine like most antibiotics was hard on my stomach.

Rigg’s is laying on the floor next to my chair as I type this, he likes being as close to his Dad as he can be.

That’s about it for today. note much to report, still waiting to get john deere out and do some grass cutting.

Hope all is well wit all our friends out there. Be safe. Sam & Donna……….

Saturday, June 7, 2014

It’s Saturday and what a day, dark and sinister sky’s, rain lots of thunder and lightening. Rigg’s is keeping his post right next to my chair. Thank God he is not afraid of storms and thunder, even fireworks and the sound of gunshots don’t bother him. must be the hunting instinct. A storm is just another excuse for a nap to him.

We have been getting lots of rain here lately, I am still hoping for a couple hot sunny days to dry out the ground so I can cut.

How about a couple of Navy pics.

F-8 Crusader, hot landing.

Did this in a helicopter for all the bridges on the Hudson River starting at Verrazano going up to the Tappan Zee bridge. Most are lower than the Golden Gate pictured.

Donna is working the restaurant tonight, My Son Andy is out someplace hiking, caught in the rain no doubt.

Rigg’s and I have the Homeland Security detail.

Not much else going on here in Dardenne Prairie,hope we can get some sunny days soon. Be careful out there. Sam & Donna……….

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Can’t believe it’s Thursday already, it is a dry but cloudy day, only supposed to reach the upper 70’s today. My son had Mom’s car the other day and he carried some gas in the back, Donna is very susceptible to strong odors that make her sick, and gas is one of them. Andy left all the doors open and the back hatch for her car to air out, and then forgot until the storms hit early in the morning, he ran out and closed it up but the inside was still soaked. Needless to say, Mom was not a happy camper.

Hey how about some Throwbacks.

Zeppy & Adam 2004.

Sam & Donna 1995.

Donna 1996.

Sam, Wendy, Dad, Bill, & Rick 1965.

That’s about it for today, it’s a slow news day at the Ranch. Hope all is well out there with all our friends in Blogland. Be safe. Sam & Donna……………….

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Had some really rough storms last night and this morning, Glad I got most of the grass cut yesterday, but now in a couple days it will be time to start all over.

Donna enjoyed her only day off yesterday and then in the afternoon we went to the eye doctor, she was picking up the new glasses to replace the ones that got run over, and I finally got my exam after putting it off for a year. When you have diabetes that’s another thing to add to the list yearly eye exams. Anyway they found my right eye has the start of a cataract, (not to be confused with a Rincoln), so the doctor said it should be checked in another year to see if it gets worse. My prescription did change so I had to order two sets of new glasses, one regular and one in sunglass.

Then I took my bride to El Maguays for a nice Mexican dinner. We both enjoyed it. I even had two Dos Equis with it. We picked up a new prescription, for my stomach and it contains an antibiotic. I have to take it for ten days and it stipulates, no alcohol or it will make you ill. So now I am on the wagon for 10 days. But that just means I will celebrate after the last pill is gone with a beer and a pizza.

Got some pics from my Son and Girlfriend in New Jersey of the Jersey Grands, they have some more acheivements we are really proud of. Their parents are making them into some really well rounded young ladies, In addition to horsemanship, they have Ballet, Marshal arts, and piano lessons.

Dude gets a kiss from Katie.

Then he gets some attention from Meghen.

Katie at her piano recital.

Meghen was awarded her latest belt.

Meghen’s ballet performance.

Katie & Meghen with their dog Lugar at the beach.

Hoping maybe we will get to see them sometime this summer.

That’s about it for today, hope all is well with all our friends, especially the Alaska group and the ones just leaving for Alaska. Be safe out there and in your travels. Sam & Donna………

Monday, June 2, 2014

Another cloudy rainy day here at the ranch, says it might be sunny all day tomorrow, really have to get started on some serious grass cutting, before the inspectors start giving out grass warnings and tickets. Dardenne Prairie isn’t big enough to have it’s own police force,They use the County Sheriff. But they do have a code enforcement guy that will come out, usually about grass or derelict cars. Two years ago I got a warning when it was just like this, rain for a week straight and no way to get into some of the low watersoaked areas without getting stuck. Last time I cut I had to pull the tractor out once with the truck.

All I can do is hope for a couple of sunny days with a little wind to dry up the ground. It is usually some neighbor that snitches you out. Last time somebody in the subdivision behind us complained, You know they have a postage stamp yard and we have a full 2 acres of grass to cut.

Not much going on in a couple of weeks our visitors from Israel will be here, we look so forward to meeting them, then later maybe in July I would like to take a couple days and go to a campground maybe with the Grands Adam and Nicky.

My laptop has a mark at the top on the screen. where it fell off the table in the fiver on our trip, the crystal display must have got a small crack in it. I found a replacement screen on the web for $57 so I may order it and try to switch them myself.

That’s about it for today, Rigg’s and I enjoyed a train movie for about an hour, he slept through most of it although he likes when they show steam engines, not so much the diesels.